Way Better Than Terrible
by T'Key'la
Summary: Written for bingo cards for 1 million words on LJ. It's mostly Steve/Danny fluff. Established relationship. One note: these are in reverse chronological order. The first one (Heavy Petting) is the last one chronologically. I wanted to see if I could write 9 sort-of inter-related stories but write them backward, timewise.


_**Heavy Petting**_**:  
**"'re you doin'?" Steve mumbled, barely awake. Danny was laying pressed up against him but no longer asleep. "Everyfing 'kay?" Steve slurred into his pillow.

"Go back to sleep, you goof," Danny said, kissing the place in front of Steve's ear, the one that always made him sigh.

"Wha'?" Steve asked, trying to focus sleep-crusted eyes on Danny.

"I didn't mean to bother you," Danny said, kissing him again. "But … here you are. All warm and brown and… it could have been so different."

"Mmm…" Steve sighed. "Carry on."

"Carry on, he says," Danny said, stroking his fingers lightly down the knobs of Steve's spine. He wished each bone wasn't so obvious but Steve had lost a lot of weight in the hospital. Danny was going to work very hard to put those pounds back. He let his hands trail down to the deliciousness of Steve's ass, his palms skimming the lighter skin. "Why don't you swim naked?"

"Mrs. Mahelona," Steve mumbled.

"Our nice neighbor?" Danny said.

"Peeping Tom," Steve corrected, making Danny laugh.

"She's at least 100 years old," Danny said. "What do you care if she watches you?"

Steve shrugged, rubbing his cheek against his pillow. "Not dignified."

"Dignified," Danny laughed, kissing Steve's shoulder.

"It's not," Steve protested, frowning when Danny continued to laugh. "Shuddup."

"Okay," Danny said, lowering the sheet so the rest of Steve's body was available to be caressed. He skimmed over the bandage on Steve's thigh, trying not to think of all the blood that had been lost before they could stop the bleeding. Instead, he concentrated on Steve's feet, rubbing his insteps the way that always melted Steve into a contented puddle of goo.

"Uhnn…" Steve sighed, shifting at the sensations. "How can I sleep with you doing that?"

"Should I stop?" Danny asked, kissing his calves in turn.

"Stop and I'll shoot you," Steve threatened.

"Uh huh," Danny said with a smile, kissing his legs and licking the insides of his knees.

Steve shifted when the kisses tickled him but he didn't ask Danny to stop. Steve understood the need Danny had to touch all of him, kissing his skin, reacquainting himself with Steve's body. Any time one of them had been badly injured, the other needed to do inventory, touching, stroking, caressing. Steve was content to let Danny fill his senses with Steve until he was satisfied that Steve was alive and warm in the bed next to him.

"When's the gang coming?" Steve asked when he'd gathered the necessary energy to form the words.

"Not until this afternoon. We're going to do some shopping online before they get here."

"Yay us," Steve said.

"Better than the mall," Danny reminded him.

"Totally," Steve agreed, rolling onto his back and pulling Danny up so that he lay on top of him, a heavy, familiar, comforting blanket. "We have some time then."

"Totally," Danny said, resting his head on top of Steve's warm chest, right over the reassuring beating of his heart.

_**Custard**__:  
_"Here," Danny said, giving Steve a bowl. He frowned when Steve frowned, knowing they were in for a fight. "Don't start."_  
_  
"I hate custard," Steve said with an almost pouty face.

"It isn't custard. It's pudding," Danny informed him, fists on his hips in a stern stance that Steve recognized and hated.

"I don't care what you call it. I still hate it," Steve informed him.

"You don't hate pudding. You're mad that you can't have twigs and berries."

"I never eat twigs and berries. What do you say stuff like that?" Steve asked, turning his unhappy expression on Danny.

"Dr. Brooks specifically said you need to eat bland food for another few days. Butterscotch pudding qualifies."

"It's butterscotch?" Steve asked, taking a tiny taste from the spoon. He tried very hard not to let his pleased surprise show.

"What flavor did you think it was, numbskull? I know this is your favorite. Why would I call my mother and asked for her recipe for any flavor but butterscotch?" Danny tried to keep all signs of triumph off his face as Steve began to eat the pudding by the heaping spoonful.

"It's your mom's recipe?"

"Yes it is. She also gave me the double-top-secret Williams recipe for rice pudding which I may make for you, if I deem you worthy."

"What do I have to do to be worthy?" Steve asked, batting his overly long eyelashes.

"Take your medicine without arguing. Nap when I ask you to. Tell me if your leg starts to hurt _at all_."

Steve nodded at each of the requirements, eating more pudding. "If I do all that, will you ask for her bread pudding recipe?"

Danny laughed, kissing Steve on the head. "For you, I'll ask. I can't promise she'll give it to me."

"I understand," Steve said, finishing the pudding. "Could I have some more?"

"Of course," Danny said, taking the empty bowl to the kitchen to refill it.

"If she won't give you the recipe for bread pudding, I'll ask her. I bet she'll give it to me," Steve said as he accepted the pudding and a tall glass of water.

"She probably will," Danny agreed, sitting down next to Steve on the couch. "Once you've had enough pudding, you need to take a nap." Danny could feel Steve's unhappiness. "You just left the hospital after over a week, babe. Coming home is the most strenuous thing you've done in all that time."

"I know," Steve sighed. "I hate this."

"I know you do," Danny said, kissing his head.

"Where'd the tree come from?" Steve asked, looking at the tall Christmas tree waiting patiently in its stand to be decorated.

"Chin and Kono brought it over," Danny said. "They're coming with Kamekona tomorrow to help me decorate it."

Steve nodded at that, knowing he wouldn't be allowed to help. His role would be purely supervisory. "Okay."

"Okay," Danny said, happier than he could say that Steve was alive to supervise the forthcoming decorating.

_**The Hero:  
**_  
"You just had to be the hero, didn't you?" Danny said, holding tight to Steve's unresponsive hand. "You just had to protect me and Grace." Steve didn't answer, didn't stir. He was in a coma, the blood loss from the gunshot wound in his thigh almost too much even for Steve. The damage had been repaired but the bleeding...Steve had nearly died at the Christmas tree lot as Danny tried to stop the bleeding.

That day had started out so pleasantly. They had Grace for the weekend and since it was only two weeks before Christmas, she had decided they were going to get a tree. It wasn't right that they didn't have one.

Since they finally had some down time, Steve and Danny had agreed with her. It was the first free Saturday they had had in at least a month.

After they ate a leisurely breakfast, they went to a Christmas tree lot owned by one of Kamekona's cousins. They were debating the merits of short and fat versus tall and thin when a shouting match erupted at the ramshackle hut that served as the cashier station. Exchanging a glance, Steve and Danny started toward it, Grace's hand tight in Danny's. At the sound of a gunshot, Steve told Danny to take Grace back to the truck. Danny tried to get Steve to come with them but knew it was fruitless.

As Grace and Danny raced toward the truck, another blast came from the hut, destroying the tree right next to Grace and Danny. Danny threw Grace onto the ground and covered her with his body. The next thing he knew, Steve was yelling at the gunman to drop the gun and get down on his knees. The response was two more gunshots then silence.

Danny slowly rose, checking to make sure Grace was okay. Assured that she was unharmed, he rushed her to the truck, telling her to lay on the floor and call 9-1-1. He then raced to hut to find Steve laying in a pool of his own blood, the gunshot wound in his thigh spurting blood with each heartbeat. Kamekona's cousin was standing over Steve's badly wounded attacker.

"No no no," Danny said, kneeling beside Steve to press both hands over the wound. "You can't do this, Steve."

"Grace?" Steve whispered, focusing on Danny with vacant eyes.

"She's fine, babe. We're both fine," Danny said. "Hey. Hey. Stay with me," Danny said frantically as Steve began to fade.

"Not goin' anywhere," Steve promised.

Danny was afraid that was a promise he was going to break. By the time the ambulance arrived, Steve was barely breathing, the blood slowing but not stopping.

He was rushed into surgery, the doctors repairing the damage but making no guarantees that he would survive the blood loss.

"Come back, babe. It's almost Christmas. You can't die, please," Danny whispered from the chair where he'd been for the past three days, waiting for his hero to emerge from the coma.

_**Joyous Singing  
**_"Well," Steve said as he and Danny returned to the Camaro. "That was…something."

"It was joyous, at least," Danny said, getting into the passenger seat. "Their enthusiasm was much greater than their talent."

"Grace looked especially beautiful."

"Yes she did," Danny agreed as Steve drove them away from the school. "I did mention that being a step-father meant suffering through school plays and Christmas pageants, right?"

"I don't remember you mentioning that particular…benefit of marrying you," Steve teased. "If I'd known…."

"If you ever, **ever** plan to have sex again, you won't finish that thought," Danny warned.

"If I had known, I'd have married you sooner," Steve said, making Danny laugh.

"All right," Danny said, smiling over at his goof. "You really are a sap deep down under that hardened SEAL shell, aren't you?"

"Seals don't have shells," Steve informed him. "Turtles do."

"I see. It's the classic 'change the subject instead of answering the question' gambit," Danny said.

"Gambit," Steve repeated, exaggerating the pronunciation. "Who says gambit?"

"Shut up," Danny laughed. "You are a sap and a goof."

"What's with the name calling? I don't call you name," Steve said the sparkle in his eyes negating his supposed unhappiness.

Danny saw straight through him, as always, and shook his head. "Think we'll be allowed to sleep tonight? Or will we get yet another emergency phone call at some ungodly hour of the night?"

"Is that one question or two? Or even three?" Steve said as he pulled into their driveway. He followed as Danny left the car and unlocked their front door.

"Hurry up and take off your clothes," Danny demanded, pulling on the hem of Steve's polo. "We need to make love before the phone rings."

"So pushy," Steve said as he pulled off his shirt and stepped out of his shoes. By the time they reached the steps, they were down to their briefs and nothing else.

"Did you want to lodge a complaint about my behavior?" Danny asked as he pushed Steve's briefs down so Steve could step out of them as they headed up the steps.

"No complaints at all," Steve assured him, catching him and kissing him breathless. "None."

"Good," Danny agreed, pulling him into their bedroom and shoving him onto the bed. Steve allowed himself to fall, watching as Danny finished stripping before crawling on top of him. "Mmm…let's have some of our own joyous singing."

"Done," Steve agreed, concentrating on ringing the joyous sounds out of Danny.

They had just gotten to the _good_ part when Steve's phone rang. With a groan of dismay, Steve reached for it, leaning over the side of the bed to look at it where it had landed.

"You dropped it?" Danny asked, laughing.

"Too much lube," Steve admitted.

Danny reached down for the still ringing phone. "Williams… Yeah, we'll be there in 20 minutes."

"Not again," Steve groaned, getting up to wash his hands before getting dressed.

"To be continued," Danny promised with a quick kiss.

_**Your Choice:  
**_  
"What do you want to do today?" Steve asked. They were on the couch, a rare Sunday when they weren't out chasing bad guys.

"I don't care," Danny said, leaning harder against Steve's shoulder. "Sitting here is awfully appealing."

"Uhn," Steve grunted. "I think I'm going for a swim."

"Kay," Danny said. "If I'm asleep when you get back, throw a blanket over me and leave me be."

"You'll feel better if you come swimming with me," Steve said. But his heart wasn't truly in it.

"I'm exhausted, Steven. _Exhausted_. How is expending even more energy going to help with that?" Danny demanded. Tried to demand but it sounded like whining, even to his own ears.

"Uhn," Steve said, his eyes slipping closed. "I'll go in a minute."

"Yeah," Danny agreed, shifting so his head was in Steve's lap.

Danny woke with a start, looking up at Steve who was still asleep sitting up. Content that Steve was close and safe, Danny drifted back to sleep.

"Hey," Steve's voice was saying the next time Danny surfaced. "Pizza's here."

"What pizza?" Danny mumbled into the couch cushion under his cheek.

"The pizza I ordered when I finally woke up," Steve said, putting said pizza on the coffee table. "Extra pineapple just for you."

"Fine," Danny said, sitting slowly to squint over at Steve. "How long you been awake?"

"Half an hour," Steve said. "Forty five minutes. I don't know precisely. One quarter of the Jets losing."

"Uhn," Danny grunted.

"Eat," Steve said, handing him a slice. "Water."

"Uhn," Danny repeated, accepting the pizza and the water. "Thanks." He held the plate as though he wasn't sure what it was for. Or maybe the idea of eating was too exhausting to consider.

"Eat, babe. You'll feel better," Steve said.

"Kay. Sit. Stop hovering," Danny requested, looking up at Steve who seemed to be looming over him.

"I'm not hovering. I'm…." Steve shrugged and sat as requested, nibbling on his pizza.

"You're not really hungry either, huh?" Danny asked, taking a tentative bite from his slice.

"We should be," Steve said.

"I want a beer," Danny decided, looking toward the kitchen as though the beer would magically appear.

"If you drink one, you'll be asleep instantly."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Danny asked.

"Eat this slice and I'll get us some," Steve said, taking a big bite. "Eating will help."

"Yeah," Danny said. "You get this from the new place?"

"Yeah. Family discount thanks to Kamekona."

"Kay," Danny said, done with that topic of conversation. His brain was so fried from all the hours they'd worked, he wasn't sure he could have a coherent conversation about anything. Or a coherent thought about having a conversation. Rather, he was staring down at his pizza, wondering when eating had become such hard work.

"Don't stare at it, Danno. Eat it," Steve said nudging him with his shoulder.

Danny shook his head and handed his plate to Steve before giving up and laying back down.

_**Rain:  
**_  
"Again with the rain," Steve said, staring out the window of H50 headquarters.

"I thought you liked rain," Danny said from where he was standing beside him.

"Normally," Steve said. "But this is the third day of it. That's enough even for me."

"Yeah," Danny said. "In Jersey, this would be snow. And we'd be in serious trouble."

"At least you can play in the snow," Kono said from where she was sitting at the table finishing her lunch.

Chin nodded in agreement. "There are a few advantages to having snow, brah."

"I don't think my heart can take this," Danny said, dramatically clutching his chest. "You three saying unkind things about paradise."

"When it's true, it's true," Chin said.

"Still rather live here than anywhere," Kono said so there was no question about her preference.

"Same," Chin agreed.

Danny looked up at Steve who was still watching the rain splatter on the windows. "What about you?"

"Wherever you are is home," Steve told him. Chin and Kono made kissing noises behind them, Steve turning to frown at them. "Do not mock."

"We aren't mocking you," Chin claimed. "We're…uhm…"

"Celebrating your love," Kono chimed in.

"Uh huh," Danny said. "Sounded like mockery to me."

Kono smiled at them, her dimples taking any sting out of the words. "You know we adore you both."

"Whatever," Danny said, turning back to watch the sheets of rain. "Are you coming in tomorrow? Or spending all day on your surfboard?"

"I'm surfing if I can talk my mean boss into giving me the day off," Kono said with a wink at Danny. "Think you could put in a good word for me?"

"If you didn't call him mean, you'd stand a better chance of getting off," Steve informed her.

"Did I say mean?" Kono asked, all wide-eyed innocence. "I meant…manly. Masculine, marvelous, magnificent."

"That's a little too much, Cuz," Chin informed her.

"Whatever it takes so I can catch the waves," Kono said.

"I think we've all worked enough hours for this month," Steve admitted. "If we don't catch a case, we'll all stand down. Have a three day weekend."

"Good idea," Kono agreed, fist bumping Steve in celebration. "You going to come with?"

"For a little while," Steve said, silently checking with Danny who just shrugged. "Not all day."

"I hear that," Kono said, winking at Danny. "You are practically still newlyweds."

"Sure," Danny said, wondering back into his office. Maybe he could finish the paperwork so he wouldn't have to take it home with him. That would be a nice change of pace.

"Hey," Steve said as he entered Danny's office, a concerned look on his face.

"Hey. What's up?"

"You aren't mad, are you?"

"Mad? About what?" Danny asked in genuine confusion.

"Kono teasing us," Steve said.

"Good God no. I'd be worried if she didn't," Danny assured him.

"Okay. She was concerned she'd stepped over the line," Steve said, kissing Danny quickly before going to Kono's office to reassure her.

_**Summer:  
**_  
"What sense does this make?" Danny demanded again. "It's 85 degrees. In Jersey, that's _summer_ weather. Not Thanksgiving weather."

He and Steve were sitting in the small alley behind the homeless shelter where they had come to help with the numerous dinners being served inside. They were peeling the mountain of potatoes while Chin and Kono were working the serving line.

"Complaining about it isn't going to make it less hot," Steve pointed out as he calmly peeled yet another potato.

"Mom said it was 41 at home yesterday. _That's_ Thanksgiving weather, Steven. Not 85." Danny wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his tee shirt as he took another potato.

"I don't know why you are still bitching about it, Danno. You've lived here for five and a half years. It's not like it's gotten hotter each year. Some people call this paradise," Steve pointed out, not having the good manners to be sweating.

"Because it's ridiculous that anyone would be wearing shorts and flip flops in November. This is not how civilized people dress when winter is just around the corner."

"First of all," Steve said, starting on another potato. "You aren't wearing shorts. You'd be cooler if you were, which I told you before we left the house. Second, they are slippas, not flip flops. And third, when did you decide the entirety of Hawaii was _not_ civilized?"

"Slippas. Flip flops. It makes no difference. They are still ridiculous footwear for this time of year," Danny asserted. "Boots. Mittens. Wool sweaters. That's what we should be wearing."

"And you would die of heat stroke before I could get to you," Steve reminded him.

Danny was about to respond with what he was sure would be the argument ending statement when Edith, the manager of the homeless shelter, came out the back door. She was smiling at them and shaking her head.

"How long have you two been married?" she asked, surveying the huge pile of potatoes.

"One year…" Danny said.

"Two months…" Steve added.

"One week…"

"And four days," Steve finished.

"Do you practice that at home?" she asked, laughing.

"Comes naturally to them," Chin said as he left the shelter behind her. Kono was with him, looking tired but satisfied.

"I can only imagine," Edith said.

"What else can we do to help?" Steve asked, standing to stretch the muscles of his back.

"I couldn't possibly ask for better helpers," Edith said gratefully. "Won't you come in and eat with us?"

"We'd love to," Danny said. "But we are expected at friends' for dinner at 5:00."

"Of course," Edith agreed, kissing each of them on the cheek. "Thank you again. You are all a blessing."

"Let us know when you want us to come back," Steve reminded her. "We'll peel more potatoes any time you need us to."

She shook her head at that. "You've done more than I could ask already. Go and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family."

_**Like Clockwork  
**_  
"Are you Daniel Williams?" the messenger asked after he'd knocked on Danny's office door.

"Yes," Danny said with a sigh. He signed for the thick envelope, not responding when the young man wished him a good day and left. As soon as he saw the contents, he took the envelope over to Steve's office, Kono and Chin trailing behind. "Regular as clockwork," Danny announced, throwing the contents of the envelope onto Steve's desk.

"Not again," Steve said, looking up from the papers to Danny.

"Rachel is trying to modify your custody agreement _again_?" Kono asked in sympathy. She'd moved behind Steve's desk to read the letter over his shoulder.

"They want to move to Japan," Danny said in exasperation. "Japan. I'm sure Stan would do well there. But I am _not_ moving. He can go anywhere he wants but he's not taking Grace."

"I'm sorry, brah," Chin said.

"We're not going to let this happen," Steve assured Danny. "I told you when we got married that your problems became my problems."

"I know," Danny said, sitting heavily on the couch next to Chin. "Even if Doris wasn't back in Japan, I wouldn't want to move there."

"We aren't moving, Doris or no Doris," Steve told him firmly. "I thought we'd settled all this a year ago."

"Me too," Danny said. "It's like they just have to keep trying, to see if they can get away with it this time. Pisses me off."

"I know," Steve said. "They're not going to win this time either."

"Is that what it's about?" Kono asked in anger. "Rachel and Stan _winning_?"

"Partly," Danny agreed.

"No child should be the prize in this sort of tug-of-war," Kono said.

"Damn right," Chin agreed.

"It's also because Danny and I are much happier than they are," Steve said sadly.

"Counseling hasn't helped their relationship?" Chin asked, looking from Danny to Steve and back.

"Apparently not. Grace tries to be brave about it, but it's pretty clear the Edwards' household isn't all tea and roses," Danny said.

"Tea and roses?" Kono asked with a confused expression.

"I guess it's an English saying?" Danny said. "I don't know. Rachel must say it."

"Huh," Kono said.

"I'll call our lawyer and make an appointment. They're not taking Grace anywhere, much less to Japan," Steve assured Danny.

"Okay," Danny said, trying to sound calmer. Why did Rachel and by extension Stan do this to him? Well, they were doing it to _them_ – him and Steve – this time. It was a whole different thing. Going up against Steve was not something they were prepared for, Danny could guarantee that.

"What's with that smile, brah?" Kono asked, smiling at Danny.

"Just thinking about the wake-up call they're about to get. Trying to Grace away from me is one thing. Trying to take her away from Steve is an entirely different matter," Danny told them.

"Damn straight," Steve confirmed with his most determined _no man left behind _expression on as he dialed his phone.

_**Ocean View:  
**_  
"Come on, babe," Danny said, tugging on the sheets that were being held tight by Steve. "We're wasting the ocean view."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Danno?" Steve asked, squinting over at Danny who was not only up but already wearing board shorts and a tank top.

"It's almost 8. You said you'd take me surfing," Danny reminded him, crawling onto the bed to kiss Steve awake.

"Again. What have you done with my Danno?"

"It's our anniversary," Danny reminded him unnecessarily. "We don't need to spend it in bed like we did our honeymoon. You said the breakers here were perfect for me to practice surfing so I could surprise Grace when we get home. I want to get out there before it's too crowded or too hot."

"Only resort guests are supposed to surf here," Steve said, rolling over to kiss Danny. "It shouldn't get too crowded."

"Still. The fewer people laughing at me, the better I'll like it," Danny pointed out. "I know I still look like a haole but that doesn't mean I want to be the laughingstock of the resort."

"Okay," Steve conceded, leaving the bed slowly enough to kiss all of Danny's bare skin he could reach. "Get the sunscreen. I don't want you to end up lobster-boy."

"I have it in the basket," Danny assured him, pointing over at it. The basket was sitting on top of a blanket which was on top of the rolling cooler.

"I guess we're ready to storm the beach," Steve laughed.

Danny followed him to the bathroom in order to talk to him through the door. "I like to be prepared. I thought you'd appreciate that, SEAL boy."

"I do," Steve agreed, leaving the bathroom to pull on his board shorts. "Let's go surfing."

"Then we'll have breakfast?" Danny asked as he picked up the basket of supplies and the blanket. Steve reluctantly grasped the handle of the ice chest, pulling it behind him as they went down the path to the beach.

"As soon as we're done," Steve agreed. Danny spread out the blanket, Steve kissing him quickly. "I'll be right back with our boards."

"'Kay," Danny said, turning to watch Steve return to the villa, enjoying the view as always. He stripped off his tank top, getting the sunscreen out of the basket so Steve could put it on him, especially on his back and shoulders. They tended to burn the worst.

"Here," Steve said, standing up the boards and accepting the sunscreen to carefully coat Danny's skin. "I guess we're ready."

"Yep," Danny agreed, taking his surfboard and running with Steve into the surf where they spent two fun-filled hours surfing (mostly Steve) and falling off their boards (mostly Danny.) Steve told him he was getting much better which Danny chose to believe even though he knew in his heart he was still pretty terrible at it. But terrible was better than he had been so he'd take it.


End file.
